Coincidence?
by Trmpetplaya1
Summary: One shots! Wonderful little pick me ups on your quest for more CCS goodness. Read one, read them all, skip around and make up your own story [although that might confuse you], do as you please!
1. Fate

**Fate**

-----

_There's no such thing as 'coincidence' in this life._

He had to hurry. But hurry made it sound so…rushed.

"That's the whole definition of 'hurry' isn't it, Clow-sama."

Smile. He shouldn't have made them so smart.

"Hey! I resent that. I'm the only smart one here you know. He's just a sorry excuse for a manservant."

"You're loud."

"You're just jealous because my real form is so much cooler than yours."

He told him not to stick his tongue out anymore. Oh well.

"M-mmmph-mm!"

A few more minutes of The Bubble and off to finish the task at hand.

His whole life was the task at hand. Everything was connected. Nothing was forgotten. All was used and meaning attached.

Although there were some things he was unclear about.

"Didn't you say that even the most powerful of sorcerers, even when teamed together, could not have the power of absolute sight?"

Why yes, he did.

"Then why are you so worried, Master?"

He wasn't worried. Just amused.

"Nothing less from Clow-sama."

Smile.

-----

The dream-like trances were taking over more and more now. He knew that it was almost the end of his time on this earth, in this dimension, inhabiting this form. They would not take it easy.

"Who won't take what easy?"

He wouldn't say.

"Stop bugging the Master, Cerberus."

But he wasn't bugged.

"Ha! See?"

Smile. It didn't quite reach his eyes though. His two companions were too consumed in their actions – one ignoring, one trying to get attention – to notice, however.

Probably for the best.

----

He could see her clearly now. Yes, his time was almost up. Just a few more preparations.

The staff was made and safely placed within the almost completed leather book.

He enjoyed watching her as she went about her daily life, a life that would not occur for many ages to come.

She would come from a good line. He would see to that. As would her helper, his descendent. Plans for that had been in place for years now.

He smiled as he watched her, his eyesight in this world fading, and almost laughed at the way she argued with his young one.

At least he would not be alone.

"Who won't be alone, Master?"

He smiled. The same being visualized in front of him through both eyesights, one in each form.

"You're not going to tell me, are you."

No, he was not, Little One.

"Don't let my brother hear you say that, Master. He'll never let me live it down."

Smile.

"Let you live what down?"

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"Speak for yourself, you overgrown feline."

-----

The book was almost finished now. As were the other preparations.

His two little ones were resting now. Unaware of their soon to be changing future.

He used the time to rest in his chair. Rest and think.

One would be okay. He had seen to that and would give him the appropriate task. One would not be so easy. But then, he was also given the appropriate task for his acceptance as well. He would not like it, his little one, but he would learn. He would learn to accept and then to protect, and finally to love.

He could see it clearly now. His other form would be there, watching, forcing the real being to watch as well. He would see and watch and as tough as his trial would be, he would accept. And love.

But something still bugged him. The other form he made just for her. Without realizing it, many years before, he'd had her in mind. However, that part of her future was still blurry.

Yes, love would be there. But what kind of love?

He didn't know.

Suddenly, and yet he had been expecting it all along, she appears.

Appears underneath his tree with fear and questions. So he reassures her. Tells her to be strong. Because it's her, it was definitely going to be alright.

_There's no such thing as 'coincidence' in this life._

He smiles as she waits in the shadows and observes a reality not yet happened. His little ones, they are not ready for it yet. But he is.

The one side of him already gone shows her the way back. Reassures her with his soft smile and strengthening words.

And she leaves. Her original question forgotten and unanswered, but her real question, the question she needed answered, she knows.

Back to the present. To his dear children.

They are stirring.

-----

A quick flight around the garden would do them good.

"But Master, it's almost nightfall."

Yes, and there may be snow tonight.

"Snow! I'm definitely going."

He smiles. Come back before nightfall.

"I'll make sure he does, Clow-sama."

His dear, dear children.

-----

He won't be here much longer.

"Much longer? You mean we're moving?"

You could say that.

"I think he means more than that, Cerberus."

You could say that, too.

"What? I don't understand."

His time is up.

"What do you mean? You're the greatest sorcerer that's ever lived!"

Even greatness has its limits.

"But...but…"

He smiles. A sad smile.

"What about us?"

His child is angry now.

"Of course I'm angry! Are you just going to leave us here? Alone?"

He would never do that.

"Then what are you going to do with us, Master?"

He shall give them a new master. One to take care of them and his other children.

"No. I won't have it."

One that will love and protect them with all of their might.

"No! Only you. Only you. No one but you."

One that will make sure that they never disappear or become hurt or lost or frightened.

"No! Why are you saying such things?"

One that they will love in return.

"I refuse. I will never love anyone else."

His plans are almost complete.

"What plans?!"

He assigns one to be the selector. To be the sealed beast of the leather-bound book with the ancient metal clasp.

"Selector? Of what?"

The new candidate for protecting what he must leave behind.

"I don't understand."

He assigns the other to be the judge.

"I won't let anyone pass."

He knows. But he smiles anyway.

"Isn't there another way? Anything we can do?"

And he knows that even if there was, he wouldn't do it.

-----

The rituals, the plans, will all be complete on the night of his death. He knows it will be night because They told him so. His last luxury They allow him.

Everything is in place. Everything that has yet to be set in motion will begin after his passing on from this world.

As his last few moments wind down, he sees them more clearly. A family. A girl. Her strength, courage, love. Her helper, although this more faint. His children, his wonderful children, changed and gathered around her, loving her.

The distant sound of bells tolling in the distance. An odd tone, but strangely familiar.

And he knows his time is up.

-----

_There's no such thing as 'coincidence' in this life._

_Only fate._


	2. A Gritty Payback

**A Gritty Payback**

-----

All was quiet in the kitchen.

The little yellow winged monster had finally fallen asleep. Little, because of his size. Yellow, because that happened to be his particular coloring. Winged, because he was.

Monster, because he ate it all.

Ate. It. All.

The little black winged angel (because he was one, of course) glared at the yellow monster with something just shy of contempt. Oh, how he would pay.

"Mmm…Sakura…home-made crème puffs? For me? You shouldn't have…"

The creature mumbled in his sleep, a stupid grin pasted across his big, gluttonous head.

The little black angel had to fight very, very hard not to physically whack the grin off his companion's face. Knowing that soon, oh so very soon, vengeance would be his, he managed to keep his temper in check, lest he ruin the 'surprise'.

Once satisfied that the yellow one was sound asleep, the black creature went to work.

He'd had to sneak into his master's room in the middle of the afternoon to get the spell, but he was sure it would be worth whatever punishment Eriol cooked up for him. Slowly, carefully, his pointed ears pulled back in concentration, he worked on drawing the magic circle around the crumb-filled plate the yellow one was currently using as his bed.

"…show him…little bastard…eating it all…ALL…"

The little black one struggled to draw with a black marker as big as he was, mumbling to himself and cursing in-between the snores of the sleeping yellow beast. Once he was finished he stepped back to admire his work. It was almost ruined as his enemy rolled over in slumber, but luckily (though not for the enemy) he stopped just short of smearing the ink, his leg dangling off the plate.

A few mutters from the black angel and the circle briefly glowed a yellowish orange before turning back to a boring black. Satisfied with his work, the little black creature quickly erased the marker (it was washable, of course; facing the wrath of one's own master was one thing, the wrath of another's at defacing her father's kitchen table was something to be avoided at all costs) and, humming slightly, left to go take a nap until his results showed up.

However, as he flew off, he failed to notice two figures standing in the hallway on the other side of the kitchen, trying their best to hold in their laughter.

"Do you think we should tell him, Sakura-san?"

"Depends. What kind of spell did he put on Kero-chan?"

"Nothing that will harm more than his pride, I can assure you."

"Well, then I guess letting him suffer for a bit won't hurt. He needs to learn to not be so greedy, anyway. Don't you think so, Eriol-kun?"

"You are his mistress, Sakura-san. If you don't know, who does?"

After that it was just too much. They both ran upstairs and dissolved in fits of giggles (despite them being uncharacteristic of most males, Eriol didn't mind in the slightest; he was quite secure in his manhood, thank-you-very-much).

-----

The little yellow creature yawned and stretched his paws. It had been a good nap. One of his best. And with the amount of naps he took, that was saying something.

His stomach rumbled. As it had the habit of doing twenty-four hours out of the day. Scratching his complaining stomach he got up and went to the fridge in search of a remedy.

Aha! There, in the center of the ice box, was his joy, his delight. A slice of strawberry chocolate mousse cake. Looking unwanted but delicious all by its little lonesome.

"Don't worry, little slice of cake! I care for you!"

He made a triumphant noise and balanced the plate on his head as he flew out of the refrigerator. Soon, he had acquired a dessert fork and was hovering over the no longer lonely piece of cake.

"Itadakimaaasu!"

The yellow creature dove his fork in the cake and took a bite.

Only to spit it back out in disgust.

Where was the chocolate fluffy strawberry goodness? Why had it tasted like…

He glanced at the bit he had spit out.

…sand?

Only slightly disturbed, he poked at sand-looking mess on the table with his fork.

Yup. It was sand.

Not one to give up easily, especially in matters concerning food, the yellow beast stabbed his fork back into the cake and took a bite.

Only to spit it back out again.

What in the Sun's name was going on here? Why were his bites turning into sand?

Cautiously, he prodded the cake a few times with his paw. It certainly _felt_ like a normal mousse cake should feel like. He sniffed it tenderly with his small nose. It most definitely had the mouth-watering aroma usually attributed to strawberry chocolatey goodness.

Still perplexed, he decided to give it another go.

Only to spit it back out. Again.

Sand? _Sand?!_

Frustrated and hungry, the little yellow creature tore into the cabinets, searching for anything and everything edible. Sweet, salty, jello-y. All were turning into sand the minute they touched his tongue! He let out a scream of rage.

And heard several voices laughing behind him.

Eye twitching, he slowly turned around to face whoever it was that dared to laugh at the expense of his stomach's misery.

Sakura, Eriol and Spinel Sun only laughed all the more when faced with the little yellow one's rage.

"Will you guys shut UP and tell me what's going ON?!"

However, it would be a good half-hour before they had calmed down enough to tell him what was going on. During which the yellow creature turned a nasty shade of orange. The red of anger did not become his yellow complexion.

"Tell me!!"

His mistress, though still hiccupping with laughter tried to explain.

"Well…haha, you see…um (giggle)...Suppi here decided that you (snicker) needed a lesson for…(snort)...eating all of the (giggle) takoyaki by yourself. Again (laugh)."

"And I must say that while my, er, Clow's sand eating spell was usually reserved for more severe purposes, I have never seen it put to such good use in all my life. Or Clow's."

The little black devil-angel smirked at his sand-eating enemy.

"Serves you right. Eating it all. ALL. Even after your mistress specifically told you to share."

He stuck his tongue out to emphasize the point.

"Why you little…"

The yellow one made to attack his offender, but was stopped by his mistress.

"Now, now, Kero-chan. I wouldn't do that if I were you. How can the spell be lifted if you hurt Suppi-chan here?"

She had a point. The only way to get the spell retracted (short of the caster's death, and Kerberus wasn't _that_ evil-spirited, although desperate times did call for desperate measures) was to beg it off Spinel Sun. Or get either Sakura or Eriol to convince Spinel on his behalf.

And seeing how much the black creature was enjoying himself, convincing was probably the only way to go.

"Fine. You win, Sakura. How long do I have to put up with this before you tell Suppi-chan here to let me off the hook?"

"Well, seeing as you really _don't_ have to eat to survive…"

The cries of the little yellow winged beast were heard blocks away.

-----

"Itadakimasu": said before eating; basically means "I will receive (it)"; usually translated in the anime as "I'm going to eat/I'll start eating now"

"Takoyaki": food famous in the Osaka/Kansai region although can be found all over Japan; round balls of cooked flour and yam based dough with bits of octopus (tako) inside; the author highly recommends them

**a/n:** Slightly inspired by the CCS Movie 2 bonus video clip. This happens after it, I guess. I'm not really sure. The stories just come into my head and I write them. I learned long ago not to question their existence. They can be quite scary, those plot bunnies.


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